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If you've been in our store, you've seen our vignettes we create to inspire you. We've taken the same approach online.
We hope you see something that inspires you.
55% Belgian Linen / 45% Cotton
Simply Cottage offers a blended mix of old and new epitomizing cottage décor with cottage chic sensibilities.
We offer slip covered furniture alongside our signature line of hand crafted wood furniture, decorative accessories, vintage finds and well-loved pieces from days gone by.


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I could use some inspiration right now, how about you?
All found here.
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5 comments:
Hi!, love your collection, have a great New Years Eve and Happy New Year, hope 2012 brings you everything you want and thank you for your lovely blog.ReplyDelete
Thank you Mariela!ReplyDelete
All the best to you as well this year, thank you for being a reader!
Just want to stopby and wish you a happy new year! Thanks for being there and share so many beautiful things and moments with us! Yanyan @ Suvi AinoaReplyDelete
Sweet Jen, I have so much to catch up with. Happy New Year! Ana.ReplyDelete
love! the tones are gorgeousss.ReplyDelete
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Aguas (OTA1032)
Pianist Omar Sosa and violinist-vocalist Yilian Cañizares have come together to create Aguas, a beautiful and very personal album. Featuring their compatriot, per- cussionist Inor Sotolongo, Aguas reflects the perspectives of two generations of Cuban artists living outside their homeland, interpreting their roots and traditions in subtle and unique ways. Songs range from the poignant to the exuberant, and are expressive of the exceptional musical chemistry, poetic sensibilities, and originality of the artists.
The material on Aguas is an inventive and engaging mix of the artists Afro-Cuban roots, Western classical music, and jazz. The album is dedicated to Water, and espe- cially to Oshun, the Goddess of Love and Mistress of Rivers in the Lucumí tradition of Yoruba ancestry known in Cuba as Santería a spiritual practice important to both artists.
As water is synonymous with life, and energy, and strength, and space, the music of the album is inspired by the important influences of water its hidden powers, its infinite transmutations, and its relentless creation. There is a sense, as well, for Omar and Yilian, of how water represents both sepa- ration from, and nostalgia for, the land of their birth.
The 11 tracks on Aguas were written and produced by Omar and Yilian, and recorded and mixed at Artesuono Studios in Udine, Italy by Stefano Amerio.
Transparent Water (OTA1031)
Transparent Water is the new studio collaboration between 7-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist-composer-bandleader Omar Sosa and London-based Senegalese singer and kora master Seckou Keita. It's slated for release in January 2017.
The project idea grew out of Sosa's impromptu addition to a mid–2012 date with drummer Marque Gilmore at the CLF Art Café in London, in what was Sosa and Keita's first musical encounter. Profoundly moved by the experience, Omar told Seckou he wanted to invite him to work together on a future recording project.
Given their respective touring and recording schedules, it took a year, but in July 2013 Omar and Seckou went into the Fattoria Musica recording studio in Osnabrück, Germany and laid down the core tracks for Transparent Water.
Another chance meeting informs Transparent Water: in April 2013, Galician bagpiper-pianist-composer Cristina Pato invited Omar to Santiago de Compostela, where Pato hosts an annual residency frequented by associates of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble. There Omar met Silk Road charter member and sheng master Wu Tong, whom Omar was moved to bring into the project. In connection with a concert date in Shanghai in July 2014, Omar arranged a side trip to Beijing to record Wu Tong's traditional flute overdubs.
Tokyo-born, Paris-based koto player Mieko Miyazaki came to Omar's attention via her recorded work with French jazz guitarist Nguyên Lê. When Omar finally had the chance to meet her, Mieko's creative spirit utterly impressed him, and he enlisted her distinctive voice for Transparent Water.
For percussion, Omar turned to longtime collaborator Gustavo Ovalles, who divides his time between France and his native Venezuela. Ovalles (who can be heard on three prior Sosa projects—Sentir, Ayaguna, and Egg?n) brings the polyrhythmic soul of the African Diaspora to Transparent Water.
Paris-based drummer-producer Steve Argüelles crafted the mix with Omar, having previously worked on Sosa's award-winning Mulatos and Afreecanos CDs.
Transparent Water is the latest example of Omar Sosa's transcendent determination to seek new combinations, a manifestation of improvisatory freedom wherein the musical destination is subordinate to the extemporaneous joy of shared artistic expression. Omar observes that, as he did with Sentir, "What I wanted to do was create something totally improvised."
Transparent Water—suggestive of translucence and flowing light—is a deeply spiritual recording that reveals its inspiration in the close and compassionate listening of artists engaged in a genial and captivating musical conversation, liberated from time itself, reaching across five continents to probe the collective spirit of the human condition.
Es:sensual presents a continuation of Cuban pianist-composer Omar Sosa's collaboration with Hamburg's NDR (North German Radio—Norddeutscher Rundfunk) Bigband and Brazilian cellist-composer-arranger Jaques Morelenbaum, whose inaugural effort can be heard on Omar Sosa-NDR Bigband CD Ceremony (Otá, 2010).
Recorded at NDR's Hamburg studios under the direction of Sosa and Morelenbaum, Es:sensual features the latter's vivid arrangements of selections from Omar's CDs Free Roots (1997), Mulatos (2004), Live à FIP (2006), Promise (2007), Across the Divide (2009), and Ilé (2014). Sosa, Morelenbaum, and the NDR Bigband extend their many influences in a contemporary contribution to the expansive universe of world jazz, where Sosa resides as a generous, abundant, and ecstatically inspired creative spirit. Omar possesses an incomparable capacity to bring the most diverse traditions into fruitful juxtaposition, moving through and far beyond his influences, from the folkloric to the classical, while sustaining a singular and joyous cosmopolitan voice. Omar is an artist who's constantly seeking new combinations, and each of his projects is marked by a revelatory spirit of creative freedom.
Rooted in Afro-Cuban spiritual and percussive traditions, and intimately versed in a range of contemporary world musics, Omar's finely textured compositions present Morelenbaum with the foundation to summon forth an expansive palette of sounds, inspiring the NDR Bidband's brilliant soloists, maximizing the ensemble's sonic potential, and providing ample latitude for Sosa's own luminous keyboard improvisations.
Es:sensual pays tribute to the majestic figures of Afro-Cuban big-band jazz—Frank "Machito" Grillo, Chico O'Farrill, Cachao, Mario Bauzá, Dizzy Gillespie, and Chano Pozo—while also drawing inspiration from Cuban luminaries such as Armando de Sequeira Romeu, Peruchín, Pancho Quinto, Lázaro Ros, Lili Martínez, Benny Moré, Arsenio Rodríguez, Rubén González, Frank Emilio Flynn, Bebo Valdés, and a succeeding generation of artists including Chucho Valdés, Paquito D'Rivera, and the revolutionary conjunto Irakere.
This project grew from Omar's conversation some years ago with Hamburg producer Stefan Gerdes of NDR, who facilitated the connection with Morelenbaum, a celebrated arranger known for his trailblazing work with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Cesária Evora, and Mariza, among many others.
The NDR Bigband, under principal conductor and arranger Jörg Achim Keller, is an ensemble of consummate soloists whose talents have been highlighted through the work of such noted arrangers as Michael Gibbs, Steve Gray, and Colin Towns. NDR Bigband collaborations comprise a virtual "Who's Who" of world jazz, including Chet Baker, Oscar Brown, Jr., Paquito D'Rivera, Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Gallardo, Lionel Hampton, Dave Holland, Abdullah Ibrahim, Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Joe Sample, Maria Schneider, and Wayne Shorter.
Eros (OTA1029)
For many, Omar Sosa and Paolo Fresu have helped change the way we listen to music. Their new Duo CD, EROS, brings us beyond listening, into the realm of heart and soul and empathy. This album follows the success of their debut CD, ALMA, in 2012, and four years of distinguished international touring. Today one of the most beloved Duos in Europe, Omar and Paolo's unique and distinctive musical voices combine traditional and progressive musical elements from Cuba and Italy. They are both master musicians with illustrious careers, bent on expanding musical boundaries and exploring new cultures.
EROS is further proof of their artistic maturity. It is a deep and consistent work, dedicated to the many facets and mysteries of love. Sosa and Fresu have composed a suite of new songs inspired by the human emotions that lead beauty into the divine. The project is enriched by cello contributions from Brazilian master Jaques Morelenbaum (who was also a guest on ALMA), from the enchanting Maghreb singer Natacha Atlas (who creates a luminous Arab version of Teardrop by Massive Attack), and from the Italian Alborada String Quartet (who have graced many projects in the Fresu discography).
Like ALMA, EROS delves deeply into the energy, poetry, and spirituality of the Duo's special musical chemistry. We find Sosa and Fresu dancing in a Latin mode around a winning mix of jazz, Cuban, African, and world music elements. The album takes a polyphonic approach, the Duo curating sonic landscapes with great care and sensitivity – as we also find in their bright and extraordinary live performances..
Ilé (OTA1027)
Since he emigrated from Cuba in 1993, Omar Sosa has forged a distinctive musical path, fusing an array of jazz, world music, hip-hop, and electronic elements with his Afro-Cuban roots. Omar's newest recording, ilé, marks a homecoming for the 7-time GRAMMY-nominated pianist and composer to the Latin Jazz influences of his formative years in late '80s and early '90s Havana. During this period, Omar savored the music of Pancho Quinto, Lázaro Ros, Rubén González, Machito, Benny Moré, Arsenio, Cachao, Lili Martinez, Peruchin, Chucho Valdés, and Irakere. Ilé means homeland in the Lucumí tradition of Cuba, derived from the Yoruba language of West Africa, and it is to the Latin Jazz roots of his native Cuba that Omar returns for inspiration on this new studio recording.
Joining him on the project are three musicians with whom Omar shares a close connection: fellow Camagüeyanos, Ernesto Simpson on drums, and Leandro Saint-Hill on alto saxophone, flute and clarinet, and Mozambican electric electic bassist Childo Tomas – collectively known as Quarteto AfroCubano. These musicians speak the same musical language, using their Cuban and African traditions as a springboard for creative freedom.
Special guests on the recording include Cuban percussionist Pedro Martinez, American guitarist Marvin Sewell, Cuban saxophonist Yosvany Terry, and maestro Eladio "Don Pancho" Terry, patriarch of the Terry family, on chekere. Featured on vocals is spoken word artist Kokayi. And, reflecting the influence of his extended residency in Barcelona, Omar showcases flamenco vocalist José "El Salao" Martín on several tracks, including a version of Cuban trova composer Sindo Garay's La Tarde.
Ilé offers contemporary interpretations of some of the classic Cuban musical styles the world has come to admire. Listeners will enjoy a mix of ballads and sophisticated mid and up tempo arrangements. Also included is a set of four atmospheric interludes, featuring traditional music samples combined with improvised piano and soprano saxophone accompaniment.
Overall, the compositional focus of the project is on ensemble playing. A noteworthy dimension is Omar's use of the Fender Rhodes electric piano in equal measure with the acoustic grand piano.
Senses (OTA1026)
Omar Sosa's new solo piano recording, SENSES, was created at EMPAC, the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, in February 2012. Omar was invited to an artist residency at EMPAC with Zimbabwean dancer // choreographer Nora Chipaumire to compose music for Nora's dance-theater piece, Miriam. During the residency period, Omar used the state-of-the art facilities at EMPAC, including a magnificent Yamaha CFIII concert grand piano, to record solo piano. The resulting improvisations comprise Omar's sixth solo piano CD, SENSES, a very personal, intimate set of 16 impromptus - relaxed, introspective, infused with calm and tranquility. About the recordings, Omar comments, "I feel peaceful. I feel love for the sake of love. The pieces are musical journeys, during which my Cuban roots emerge in unusual, deconstructed ways".
1. S'Inguldu (5:35)
2. Inverno Grigio (5:28)
3. No Trance (3:36)
4. Alma (5:49)
5. Angustia (4:34)
6. Crepuscolo (3:15)
7. Moon On The Sky (5:59)
8. Old D Blues (6:36)
9. Medley Part I: Niños (4:00)
10. Medley Part II: Nenia (5:23)
11. Under African Skies (7:28)
12. Rimanere Grande! (2:58)
Eggun (OTA1024)
EGGUN: The Afri-Lectric Experience began as an Omar Sosa commission from the Barcelona Jazz Festival in 2009. The assignment: to compose and produce a tribute performance to Miles Davis' classic recording, Kind Of Blue, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. Inspired by various musical elements and motifs from Kind Of Blue, Omar wrote a suite of music honoring the spirit of freedom in Davis' seminal work.
Featuring trumpet and two saxophones, Eggun provides a medium for musical elements from Africa to shape and develop the music. The resulting jazz textures are further enhanced by the subtle and expressive use of electronic elements. At the heart of the recording is the spirit of Mother Africa.
The featured horn players are Joo Kraus on trumpet (Germany), Leandro Saint-Hill on alto saxophone and flute (Cuba), and Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone (U.S.A.). Omar's longtime rhythm section of Marque Gilmore on drums (U.S.A.) and Childo Tomas on electric bass (Mozambique) create the foundation.
Special guests on the project include Lionel Loueke on guitars (Benin), Marvin Sewell on guitars (U.S.A.), Pedro Martinez on Afro-Cuban percussion (Cuba), John Santos on percussion (U.S.A.), and Gustavo Ovalles on Afro-Venezuelan percussion (Venezuela). The CD was recorded primarily in Brooklyn, NY. Of particular interest is a set of six Interludios interspersed among the primary tracks of the recording, inspired by melodic elements from the solos of Bill Evans.
Eggun, in the West African spiritual practice of Ifá and its various
expressions throughout the African Diaspora, are the spirits of those whohave gone before us, both in our immediate families and those who serve as our Spirit guides.
From the liner notes, by Joan Cararach, artistic director of the Barcelona Jazz Festival:
Harmony, peace, respect, freedom. That has been Omar Sosa's
response to our proposal: to revisit Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis, from his own (quite exceptional) aesthetic assumptions. The year was 2009. The 41st Voll-Damm Barcelona International Jazz Festival had hired drummer Jimmy Cobb – the only surviving member of the group's original line-up who created that record – and a tribute band committed to revive, in concert, the memory of that iconic jazz piece. But Kind of Blue, rather than a museum piece, is a mysterious record with an intimacy to be disclosed very slowly, generation after generation, beyond the commonplaces of history books.
That's why we asked two artists who are familiar with our festival to revisit Kind of Blue from another perspective, following the artistic principles evoked by Bill Evans in his notes to the record signed by Davis: be yourself, be spontaneous, give all you have to give, everything you learned from those who came before and those you are sharing the road with. We selected Chano Domínguez, from Andalucía, who contributed Flamenco Sketches (Blue Note, 2012), and Cuban Omar Sosa, who did a powerful research of Miles Davis' record.
Eggun (ancestors) is not a typical record, just as Sosa is not a typical pianist. The artist, at first reluctant, became obsessed probing into Kind of Blue to find nothing else but the paradoxes of a never-ending search: love and indifference; exile and emigration; being here and now with the lessons of those who illuminated us; restless energy and deliberate contemplation; the uncanny twists and turns of our souls and the shades of our lives; the constant strain between grief and joy, contradictory and supplementary at the same time.
Eggun essentially derives from the melodic cells of Kind of Blue's solos and has the aim of honoring that record, which, let's say it once more, is hardly known in spite of having been used and abused. Eggun is like all of Sosa's works, an invitation to a journey plentiful with luxury, peace and sensuality (thanks, Baudelaire!). We have a welcome with Alejet – whitein Arabic – and El Alba. All the sounds of the African diaspora – where Moroccan bendir meets Dominican merengue and Puerto Rican plena: So All Freddie. The interludes, almost sacred invocations to the genius of Bill Evans. And a passionate desperation in the finale, as in records conceived the old way, like a narrative, followed by the final rest, grace in a religious sense, like an overflowing energy which at the end of the journey becomes pure togetherness.
Kindness, in short.
Joan Anton Cararach is the Artistic Director of the Barcelona Voll-Damm International Jazz Festival. In 2009 he commissioned 'Eggun' to Omar Sosa to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue'.s.
1. S'Inguldu (5:35)
2. Inverno Grigio (5:28)
3. No Trance (3:36)
4. Alma (5:49)
5. Angustia (4:34)
6. Crepuscolo (3:15)
7. Moon On The Sky (5:59)
8. Old D Blues (6:36)
9. Medley Part I: Niños (4:00)
10. Medley Part II: Nenia (5:23)
11. Under African Skies (7:28)
12. Rimanere Grande! (2:58)
Alma (OTA1023)
Alma is the new recording collaboration between six-time GRAMMY-nominated Cuban composer and pianist, Omar Sosa, and celebrated Italian trumpet and flugelhorn player, Paolo Fresu. The CD features guest cello contributions on four tracks by the masterful Brazilian conductor, arranger, producer, and cellist, Jaques Morelenbaum. Recorded in Udine, Italy in May 2011, and produced by Paolo Fresu and Omar Sosa for Mr. Fresu's label imprint, Tuk Music, the compositions are written by Omar Sosa and Paolo Fresu, except for Under African Skies, a gentle version of the popular track from the Paul Simon CD, Graceland.
Mr. Sosa first invited Paolo Fresu to join his band as a guest for a concert at NDR studios in Hamburg in 2006, which resulted in the release of a live recording entitled Promise, in 2007. Omar and Paolo toured together in Italy in July 2009, which further deepened the special musical chemistry between the artists, and inspired them to plan a Duo recording. Both admirers of Jaques Morelenbaum's artistry, Omar and Paolo invited him to participate in the project. And when Omar traveled to São Paulo for a concert in August 2011, a studio session was organized. Mr. Morelenbaum's illustrious career includes work with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Carlinhos Brown, Gilberto Gil, and Japanese pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto. Mr. Morelenbaum also did the arrangements for the recent Omar Sosa CD, Ceremony, with the NDR Bigband, which received a 2011 ECHO Jazz Award.
Paolo Fresu is a prolific artist, whose touring and recording history includes work with Carla Bley, Gerry Mulligan, Dave Holland, John Zorn and Ralph Towner, to mention just a very few. He also serves as artistic director for the Berchidda Festival ("Time In Jazz") and the Nuoro Jazz Seminars. Mr. Fresu, who is from Sardinia, recently celebrated his 50th birthday by producing a series of 50 concerts in Sardinia on 50 consecutive days during the summer of 2011, featuring musicians he has collaborated with over the years. Omar Sosa joined him for a Duo performance in Cagliari on July 9th (concert number 26)!
The music on Alma, meaning 'soul' in Spanish, is a mix of jazz and Cuban and world music, melodic and soulful, including a fiery version of Omar's composition Angustia. Mr. Morelenbaum is featured on both the title track, Alma, and the opening track, S'Inguldu, as well as Omar Sosa's new composition, Crepuscolo, and the version of Paul Simon's Under African Skies. Mr. Fresu's flugelhorn work is rich and warm. Sosa's stylings are fresh and inventive. And the playful musical connection between the two is evident throughout the recordings. We have a sense of these accomplished artists 'dancing' together, creating an expressive and poetic link between Cuba and the Mediterranean, offering us a wide range of subtle and engaging musical colors.
1. Sunrise (3:47)
2. Absence (4:00)
3. Walking Together (3:38)
4. Esperanza (5:23)
5. Innocence (3:25)
6. Oasis (3:10)
7. Aguas (3:37)
8. Looking Within (5:02)
9. Dance of Reflection (3:45)
10. Autumn Flowers (3:33)
11. Reposo (3:31)
12. Madre (3:18)
13. Sunset (4:05)
Calma (OTA1022)
Calma is Omar Sosa's fifth solo piano recording, a work of singular artistry, featuring Omar's unique and original approach to the genre. The CD is comprised of 13 solo piano improvisations, fusing stylistic elements of jazz, classical new music, ambient, and electronica. As the title implies, the overall feeling is relaxed and introspective, without any attempt to impress technically. Rather, the intent is to evoke a mood of reflection and contemplation.
As Omar describes: "Each song is an inspiration for the next, and improvisation is the basis of the musical expression. I wanted to play from beginning to end without thinking – just feeling where each note would take me, following the voice of my soul. It's possible that silence, yearning, hope, optimism, and sadness all travel hand-in-hand in many of the songs".
The recording features a rarely heard combination of acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, and various electronic effects and sampled sounds. All of these instruments were recorded live together in the studio, without overdubs – the artist interacting spontaneously, in real-time, with the various sonic elements.
Omar's unorthodox harmonic sensibilities are evident throughout Calma. We hear surprising harmonic turns, with sonorities blending and resolving in unpredictable ways. And Omar's subtle and integral use of the electronic elements lends a layer of sonic richness and depth to many of the tracks.
Rhythmically, the feeling of the CD is unhurried and meditative. Sensations of floating and suspension of time prevail. Melodically, the thematic material on Calma is quiet and restrained. We can imagine the melodic sensibilities of Erik Satie meeting those of Pierre Boulez.
Calma was recorded at Systems Two in Brooklyn, New York on October 14, 2009
1. Llegada Con Elegba ( 3:06 )
2. Changó En Esmeraldas ( 6:19)
3. Danzón De Tus Ojos (7:31)
4. Yemaya En Agua Larga (6:39)
5. Luz En El Cielo (8:41)
6. Cha Con Marimba (5:43)
7. Mi Tradición (6:28)
8. Carambabá (7:53)
9. Monkurú (7:07)
10. Salida Con Elegba (2:56)
Ceremony (OTA1021)
NDR Bigband plays Omar Sosa
Arranged by Jaques Morelenbaum
Ceremony is a major new project, the fruit of pianist-composer Omar Sosa's first big-band collaboration with composer-arranger-cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, Hamburg's 18–piece NDR Bigband (North German Radio // Norddeutscher Rundfunk), and the Omar Sosa Quartet, featuring Julio Barreto (drums, Cuba), Childo Tomas (electric bass, Mozambique), and Marcos Ilukán (Afro-Cuban percussion, Cuba). Sosa himself plays piano and marimba.
Recorded in two sessions (2007 and 2008) at NDR's Hamburg studios, under the direction of Morelenbuam and Sosa, Ceremony features Morelenbaum's brilliant arrangements of selections from Omar's Spirit Of The Roots (1999), Bembón (2000), and Afreecanos (2009) CDs—together with two new Sosa offerings, "Llegada Con Elegba" (the introductory track) and "Salida Con Elegba" (the closing piece).
Rooted in the Quartet's Afro-Cuban percussive traditions, Sosa's finely textured compositions enable Morelenbaum to summon forth a broad palette of sounds, fully mobilizing the NDR Bigband's sonic potential and its brilliant soloists, while leaving ample space for Sosa's own luminous improvisations.
Ceremony takes something of the structure of a sacred batá ceremony, invoking a panoply of Yoruba deities, while also delving into the Cuban son, danzón, and cha-cha-cha. Reflecting Sosa's own spiritual grounding, Ceremony opens in sacramental veneration of Elegba, the divine messenger and guardian spirit, the all-powerful medium and diviner of human fate. "Changó En Esmeraldas" is an extended tribute to the deity of thunder and lightning, fire and moral retribution, and a reflection upon Sosa's musical sojourn in the Afro-Ecuadorian community of Esmeraldas. "Yemaya En Agua Larga" honors the great mother and goddess of the sea, the moon, creation, and female mystery. In keeping with Yoruba tradition, Ceremony exits with a final ritual salutation to Elegba.
Ceremony acknowledges the majesty of the legendary Afro-Cuban big bands of Frank "Machito" Grillo, Chico O'Farrill, and Dizzy Gillespie, while extending those revered traditions in a contemporary salute to the expansive universe of world jazz, wherein Sosa himself continues to reign as a joyous, generous, abundant, and essential creative spirit.
Ceremony grew out of a conversation with Hamburg producer Stefan Gerdes of NDR, who brokered the connection with Brazil's Morelenbaum, who is much sought after as an arranger, reflecting his signal work with Antonio Carlos Jobim, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Cesária Evora, and Mariza, among many others.
The NDR Bigband is an ensemble of accomplished soloists whose talents have been highlighted through the work of such noted arrangers as Steve Gray, Colin Towns, and Michael Gibbs. Over the years, the NDR Bigband's artistic collaborations have comprised a virtual "Who's Who" of world jazz: including Chet Baker, Paquito D'Rivera, Pee Wee Ellis, Joe Gallardo, Lionel Hampton, Dave Holland, Abdullah Ibrahim, Pat Metheny, Joe Pass, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Oscar Brown, Jr., Al Jarreau, and Bobby McFerrin.
Ceremony will have its international debut at NDR in Hamburg on March 18–19, 2010.
NDR Bigband: www.ndr.de
1. Sunrise ( 1:22 )
2. Invocation ( 5:53)
3. Walking Song (4:45)
4. Tea Break (2:36)
5. Forest Journey (3:32)
6. River Crossing (5:57)
7. Children at play (4:38)
8. Men´s Talk (7:21)
9. Flirtation (5:28)
10. Praise (1:48)
11. Spirit Messenger (4:30)
12. Celebration (5:53)
13. Elders Speak (4:06)
14. Gratitude (5:14)
Tales of the Earth (OTA1020)
Tales From The Earth. A thoroughly cosmopolitan outlook rooted in the rhythmic intensity and improvisatory, call-and- response spirit of Africa writ large. Artists of Cuban, Haitian, West African (Bénin, Ivory Coast), European, African American and Jewish American heritage, entering a Berlin studio for two days of intensive recording, without music or a predetermined conception, only a shared commitment to the communal, celebratory character that embodies the expressive riches of Mother Africa.
Flautist Mark Weinstein's groundbreaking Cuban Roots (1967) melded the influences of Mingus, Machito, Puente, Tjader, and Palmieri, carried forward into the present with his recent collaborations, Cuban Roots Revisited, Algo Más, and now, Tales From The Earth. Weaving a musical lineage of a thousand strands, if Tales From The Earth recalls something of the creative spirit of M'Boom, the inventive all-percussion octet founded by Max Roach in 1970, it captures the global ecumenical spirit of the present.
Accordingly, Tales From The Earth resounds with the Afro-Cuban traditions of Omar Sosa—best known as a pianist and composer, but here primarily on marimba and vibraphone, which Sosa studied in Cuba's conservatories before switching to piano. It features the eclectic guitar talents of Jean Paul Bourelly (Miles Davis, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson); the resonant balafon of Aly Keita's Ivory Coast; the insistent drum 'n' bass sensibilities of Stockholm-based Marque Gilmore (Roy Ayers, Steve Coleman, Graham Haynes, Toumani Diabate, Vernon Reid, Joe Zawinul, MeShell Ndegeocello, Susheela Raman, Nitin Sawhney, Talvin Singh); the vocal and percussive vitality of Aho Luc Nicaise and Mathias Agbokou; and the fresh, ever-surprising turns of phrase that each artist invests in this pioneering project.
Tales From The Earth weaves a musical narrative that can be read as a journey to the source of the human spirit with all the playfulness, celebration, contemplation, historical awareness, compassion, reverence, and gratitude manifest in a life consciously lived.
Co-produced by Mark Weinstein, Omar Sosa, and Jean Paul Bourelly, Tales From The Earth embraces the radical challenge laid down by Monk long ago: "Jazz is freedom, so I play music. If I ever play the same thing twice, I'll stop making music. "
This ensemble never plays the same thing twice, and Tales From The Earth expresses a revelatory message, deeply grounded in tradition, yet thoroughly contemporary and innovative in realization, an expression of human freedom, and a celebration of the Diaspora, alive in our times.
1. Promised Land (7:05)
2. Glu-Glu (5:39)
3. Gabriel's Trumpet (6:15)
4. Across Africa (The Dream) (3:29)
5. Across Africa (Arrival) (5:34)
6. Sugar Baby Blues (5:08)
7. Night Of The Four Songs (5:12)
8. Solstice (4:45)
9. Ancestors (5:09)
Across The Divide
Across The Divide began like a shooting star - a luminous certainty that two folkloric musicians, a Cuban pianist and a New England multi-instrumentalist specializing in native and adopted American musics, could trace the connections between seemingly disparate worlds of thought. What was not seen at the start, however, was the great drama unfolding before us, a backdrop for the making of this record - the ascendancy of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States.
His climb to power proved timely on so many levels - among them, the nation declaring its readiness to accept a leader of color at exactly the same moment we were birthing a song cycle highlighting the Middle Passage. From the castles of Ghana to the White House.
Moreover, the surround sound of the political machine filled the air with an unmusic soundtrack; the relentless drone and grind of the campaign lending contrast to the stirring uplift of our musical discoveries. Across the Divide had not anticipated any seismic social shifts, had not aimed at didacticism. Indeed, its mandate was more pleasure-driven, in the ways of art and entertainment.
The crystallizing element in assembling this narrative was rhythm, heard through a melding and mingling of cultures and manifesting the shared roots between Omar Sosa and Tim Eriksen. No surprise, really. During the forced migration of slaves, a practice that spanned centuries and fed the triangulated economies of Europe, Africa, and the Americas, indigenous musics and performance traditions entered New World ports, among them Havana and Chesapeake Bay. These strains of expression took root and became the basis for much popular culture.
Omar knows this in his bones. He is a global musician, attuned to the pulse of nature. His air of authority, of wisdom, is born from immersion in the musics of the world and a desire to propagate his folk heritage. Tim is a preservationist, uncovering songs dug deep in the soil and offering them as evidence of an exchange system distinctly American because of its cultural beginnings elsewhere. Theirs is a model marriage (one with rich historical roots), bearing offspring, new idioms, spiritually endowed.
The four vocals featured in Across The Divide are bound to the Eastern seaboard by tradition and development. "Promised Land," a Welsh hymm dating from the mid-1700's, first embraced as Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah, is commonly heard in Baptist congregations of the American South. "Gabriel's Trumpet" hails from Maine, where it was first cited in the mid-1800's, introduced perhaps by sailors docking in the port town of Camden. "Sugar Baby Blues," known among West Virginians and popularized by Dock Boggs in the early days of "hillbilly music," was widely associated with the banjo, an instrument of African origin. And "Night Of The Four Songs" draws from the sacred music tradition of congregational singing, having passed through North Carolina many decades ago.
These songs are linked by Sosa's instrumental odysseys, tales of ancestry: the dreams and realities of passage within and beyond Africa; meditations on the solstice and the natural order, the longest days, the seasons of life; reverence for Eleggua, the deity who determines fate and tests the will of man. Across The Divide is fueled by these crosswinds. Sosa is guided by the North Stars of spirituality, ritual, and the human condition.
So too, it seems, was the poet and novelist Langston Hughes, a seminal voice in the Harlem Renaissance, whose reading of "The Struggle" was sampled then woven into the narrative. His call for racial consciousness and self-determination (No man wanted to be a slave
) is the literary counterweight to this musical oblation.
Which leads us to recognize the indomitable life force that faces unspeakable horrors yet somehow prevails a beacon penetrating the fog of oppression, its promise flooding across oceans, continents, centuries. Every now and then we're reminded of that. Through a work of art or, less frequently, a presidential election.
-Jeff Levenson
1. Prologo (1:50)
2. Ollú (4:18)
3. Nene La Kanou (5:01)
4. Yeye Moro (5:59)
5. Babalada (7:43)
6. Light In The Sky (6:55)
7. D'Son (5:15)
8. Tres Negros (4:30)
9. Mon Yalala (4:03)
10. Tumborum (5:14)
11. Why Angá? (6:45)
Afreecanos. Rooted in Africa. Omar Sosa's new studio
album brings together musicians from Africa, Cuba, Brazil,
and France to celebrate the rich heritage of African music
in jazz and Latin music. Mr. Sosa's approach takes
folkloric elements from Africa and the Americas, combines
them with his Afro-Cuban roots, and brings them all forward
into a contemporary jazz expression. For the first time
since his arrangements on Spirit Of The Roots and Prietos,
Mr. Sosa uses a horn section, and Afreecanos features
a variety of traditional and modern flute sounds. The
recording also features kora, ngoni, guitar-sitar, and
a variety of folkloric percussion instruments, including
batá, timbales, kongoman, m'bira, and talking
Featured on the recording are Cuban drummer Julio Barreto,
Mozambican electric bassist Childo Tomas, Senegalese vocalist
Mola Sylla, Cuban folkloric master Lázaro Galarraga,
Cuban woodwind player Leandro Saint-Hill, French trumpet
player Stéphane Belmondo, and French multi-instrumentalist
Christophe Disco Minck. Also featured are Cuban timbal
master Orestes Vilató, Malian percussionist Baba
Sissoko, Malian flute player Ali Wague, and Senegalese
kora player Ali Boulo Santo, et al.
Mr. Sosa has taken Afro-Cuban musical forms, like the
rumba, and arranged them for African musicians and African
instruments... releasing these forms from the traditional
Afro-Cuban clave... and opening them to innovative interpretations...
combining the fokloric with the contemporary, the ancestral
with the urban. Throughout the album we hear folkloric
elements infusing a modern jazz idiom, including spirit
vocals and percussion from Africa, Cuba, and Brazil. The
sound is lush and orchestral.
Afreecanos is produced by Paris-based drummer Steve
Argüelles, who also produced Mr. Sosa's 2004
GRAMMY-nominated recording, Mulatos. Afreecanos was
recorded at Fattoria Musica in Osnabrück, Germany,
with additional recording in Paris and San Francisco.
The recording is dedicated to the late Cuban percussion
masters, Pancho Quinto and Angá Diaz.
1. Eleggua En Do (8:38)
2. Two Afreecanos (5:22)
3. Welcome (5:27)
4. A Moment (4:58)
5. Afreecanos West (9:05)
6. Weekend Soft (8:59)
7. Iyade (6:26)
Promise (SKP 9068-2)
With "Promise", Omar Sosa continues his
exploration of the African roots of traditional musics
throughout the Diaspora, using jazz harmonies and the
latest technology. His new Afreecanos Quartet features
Cuban drummer Julio Barreto, Mozambican electric bassist
Childo Tomas, and Senegalese vocalist Mola Sylla. The
ensemble fuses the folkloric with the contemporary,
the tribal with the urban - all with a Latin jazz heart.
Downbeat recently commented that "Sosa stokes
the African and Cuban fires: Each burns distinctly from
the other while illuminating the place between them.
This is where Sosa pitches his musical camp and works
his magic" (January 2007).
Recorded in front of a live audience at the NDR radio
studios in Hamburg, Germany, "Promise" features
the above Quartet, plus noted Italian trumpet player
Paolo Fresu, and Cuban flute player Leandro Saint-Hill.
This live recording anticipates the release in October
2007 of Omar Sosa's next studio album, entitled
Available from www.melodia.com
or email firstname.lastname@example.com
or call 510-339-3389.
Julio Barreto toured and recorded with Gonzalo Rubalcaba
from 1991 to 1998 in Trio and Quartet, and is featured
on the Rubalcaba recordings "Suite 4 y20",
"Rapsodia", "Diz", "Imagine"
and "Antiguo". Mr. Barreto has also toured
and recorded with Roy Hargrove, David Sanchez, Chucho
Valdes, Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Chico Freeman,
José Luis Quintana, and Miguel "Anga"
Diaz. He lives in Luzern, Switzerland.
In addition to the electric bass, Childo Tomas sings
in his native language Mozambican language of Ronga,
and plays m'bira. Mola Sylla sings in his native
language of Wolof, and plays m'bira and xalam.
1. Nuevo Manto (8:41)
2. Métisse (7:05)
3. African Sunrise (3:37)
4. Dos Caminos (5:50)
5. Iyawo (5:21)
6. El Consenso (9:56)
7. Paralelo (6:50)
8. Muevete En D (3:24)
Live à FIP
(OTA1017, release date: October 10, 2006)
Omar Sosa has released a number of live, solo piano
recordings and a number of live, piano-percussion duo
recordings over the years. With Live à FIP, Omar
offers his first live, ensemble CD, featuring a Quintet
comprised of bass, drums, percussion and saxophone.
Recorded at Radio France in Paris in front of a live,
studio audience, Live à FIP offers new interpretations
of many of the compositions from Mr. Sosa's 2006
GRAMMY-nominated CD, Mulatos, as well as a number of
new pieces. FIP is an acronym for France Inter Paris,
part of the Radio France broadcasting network.
Joining Mr. Sosa for the May 12, 2005 date, and recording
together for the first time, are regular Sosa collaborators
(the late) Angá Díaz (Cuba) on percussion,
Childo Tomas (Mozambique) on electric bass, and Luis
Depestre (Cuba) on saxophones. Completing the ensemble
is Paris-based drummer, Steve Argüelles (UK), who
produced the award-winning Mulatos (OTA1014) and the
follow-up Mulatos Remix (OTA1016).
Compositions from Mulatos include "Nuevo Manto"
and "Dos Caminos", as well as the sweetly
lilting "Iyawo", and the haunting "El
Consenso". New material includes "Métisse"
and "Paralelo", both part of Mr. Sosa's
current touring repertoire, and "African Sunrise",
featuring Childo Tomas' African vocals and m'bira
(known as a "thumb piano"). Closing the
recording is a rousing version of one of Mr. Sosa's
signature encores, "Muevete En D", featuring
Angá Díaz on cajon (a wooden "box" drum).
Percussionist Angá Díaz is renowned for
his contributions with influential Cuban artists Irakere,
the Afro-Cuban All Stars, Rubén González,
and Cachaíto López, as well as acclaimed
U.S. trumpeter, Roy Hargrove. On Live à FIP,
we are treated to Angá's artistry on congas,
cajon and bongo. Childo Tomas recently made his U.S.
performing debut, joining Mr. Sosa for shows at Yoshi's
in Oakland and the new Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club in
Miami. He will also join Omar on tour in the U.S. at
the beginning of October.
1. La Tra (5:05)
2. L3zero (6:00)
3. El Tresero (5:13)
4. El Son (5:41)
5. La Tra'lectric (5:36)
6. Not your Frequency Remix (5:35)
7. Paralelo (4:23)
8. Rest, Wait, Call (0:55)
9. Nuevo Flow (3:31)
10. Iyawo´n Bass (6:04)
Mulatos Remix
(OTA1016, release date: April 11, 2006)
Following the success of Cuban pianist Omar Sosa's
recent recording "Mulatos" (OTA1015), which
received a 2006 GRAMMY nomination for Best Latin Jazz
Album, and a 2006 BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music
nomination, and which features the artistry of legendary
Cuban reedman Paquito D'Rivera, Ot· Records
is pleased to announce the release of a remix album
of material from the award-winning recording. Entitled
"Mulatos Remix", the album features fresh
and funky contributions by Paris-based drummer/producer,
Doctor L; Brooklyn-based producer/remixer, DJ Spinna;
live Drum & Bass pioneer/drummer, Marque Gilmore;
Paris-based drummer/producer, Steve Arg¸elles
(who produced "Mulatos" and whose mixes
include some out-takes from the original "Mulatos"
sessions); and new-to-the Paris scene, DJ basephunk.The
dance-jazz vibe of these remixes features Omar Sosa
piano and marimba riffs, funky clarinet riffs, as
well as new vocal and flute elements... all enhanced
by the cutting edge approaches of our guest remixers.
1. Mis Tres Notas (5:01)
2. Para Ella (5:17)
3. Fragile (3:18)
4. Twice As Sad (2:51)
5. Gracias Señor (5:07)
6. Para dos Parados (6:22)
7. Antes de ir va esto (9:16)
8. Tienes un solo (7:12)
9. Raya (6:23)
10. Shirma (3:58)
release date: September 13, 2005)
Omar Sosa is often lauded for his high-energy, percussive
piano style, he has also a profound sense of expression
in the delicate, lyrical realm. In this collection of
ballads, loosely defined, taken from four of his early
recordings, we are treated to a listening experience
of beautiful melody and rich harmony, full of romanticism
and grace - all with a Latin jazz heart.
compilation opens with Omar Sosa's signature ballad,
"Mis Tres Notas", taken from his first ensemble recording,
Free Roots (OTA1003) , and closes with the
beautiful love song, "Shirma", taken from the same album,
and featuring the artistry of reedman Sheldon Brown
on bass clarinet. Also from Free Roots , we
find "Raya", this time with Sheldon Brown on alto saxophone.
Omar Sosa's second ensemble CD, Spirit Of The Roots
(OTA1005) , are taken "Para Ella", with Sheldon
Brown on tenor saxophone, "Antes De Ir Va Esto", featuring
John Calloway on flute and Orestes Vilato on timbal,
and "Tienes Un Solo", featuring the divine Anastacia
Newkirk on vocals. From
the final recording of Omar Sosa's Roots Trilogy, Bembón
(OTA1007) , we find "Gracias Señor" and
"Para Dos Parados", both featuring poignant string arrangements,
and the later featuring the exquisite vocal styling
of María Márquez. Finally, from the groundbreaking
CD, Prietos (OTA1008) , come two very delicate
pieces, "Fragile", again featuring María Márquez,
and "Twice As Sad", with Sheldon Brown on tenor saxophone.
has a remarkable unity and organic quality, allowing
the listener to let go into a magical, dream-like state.
For those Omar Sosa fans who may have missed some of
his early ensemble recordings and for those who have
enjoyed the quieter, more introspective dimensions of
this remarkable artist, Ballads is a must-have.
more information, press kit, video, or interview, please
contact email@example.com
or visit www.melodia.com
1. Ternura (7:27)
2. Nuevo Manto (6:15)
3. La Tra (5:44)
4. Reposo (4:22)
5. La Llamada (7:27)
6. Dos Caminos (5:39)
7. Iyawo (6:23)
8. L3zero (6:41)
9. El Consenso (5:21)
(OTA1014, release date: October 12, 2004)
How to be true to a music tradition
and be part of the world at large? To be a modern artist
(and consequently a traveler), without dismissing your
roots? Omar Sosa searches out new sounds for a music
that is simultaneously his own, and part of an Afro-Cuban
culture. Mulatos is a fitting description for the kind
of approach Omar is adopting - a mix of Cuban music
that dances with rhythmic inspirations of Indian tabla,
jazz drums, and studio mixing. Listening to the voices
of the Arabic lute, the oud, a fore runner of the Cuban
tres, and European clarinet melodies reminding him of
Paquito D'Rivera and the repertoire of the great
Cuban masters, Omar Sosa's unique way of imagining how
this can fit together and making the leap to realize
the recording of it, is what makes him stand out as
a very modern musician - an inventive and courageous
artist.The album Mulatos features
the highly individual talents of Dhafer Youssef (oud),
Steve Argüelles (drums, electronics), Dieter Ilg
(double bass), Philippe Foch (tabla), and Renaud Pion
(clarinets). With the exception of Omar Sosa, the relation
to Cuban music for these musicians is somewhat removed,
though respectful and engaging. Omar's extraordinary
abilities as a composer, pianist, marimba percussionist
(new here to many of his followers) and his authoritative
leadership threads this together beautifully to create
a major development for a Cuban jazz artist.Joining the project as
special guest on clarinet for three compositions, someone
whose artistry Omar has admired for many years, is Paquito
D'Rivera (tracks 1, 2, 6).
Producer Steve Argüelles
remarks, "It's an album that is tightly constructed,
like movie editing in the sense that the clarity of
musical ideas are presented to maximum effect, be it
a simple melody, a curious rhythm, or an electronic
touch here and there. It remains rich, too, in the way
that a favorite record is what you keep returning to, an important objective of ours. It tells a story about
Omar's relation to jazz, Afro-Cuban rhythms and
spirituality, the piano, and a freely expressive mind".
1. Follow My Shadow (7:03)
2. Impromptu in D Minor (4:40)
3. Mute Ostinato in C (7:13)
4. Pentatonic Research (6:35)
5. Dias de Iyawo (9:12)
6. Sobre Un Manto en E Minor (4:26)
7. Intense Moon in F# Minor (5:19)
8. Siberian Horses (4:57)
9. Muevete en D (2:57)
Aleatoric EFX
(OTA1013, release date: June 1, 2004)
Recorded live at Radio Bremen,
Germany, in November 2003, Aleatoric EFX is Omar Sosa's
fourth solo piano recording. The new CD combines Omar's
free, improvisatory approach to the piano, with his
use of a number of electronic effects, also directed
live from the piano during the performance. The result
is an engaging, multi-dimensional musical experience,
with elements of jazz, classical, new music, and electronica.
The term aleatoric refers to the chance or random ways
in which the subtle electronic elements mesh with the
performance both inside the piano and on the keyboard.From the mysterious,
ethereal beginnings of Follow My Shadow, with its bass
string drone and yearning melodic figure, to the classical
lyricism and haunting beauty of Impromptu in D Minor,
the recording opens in a delicate, understated mood.
Mute Ostinato in C continues Omar's fascination
with the bass drone, as in Indian classical music, combined
with a series of lilting rhythmic figures, and unique
use of the coco shells inside the piano on the strings.
Throughout these opening improvisations, we see the
influence of one of Omar's classical music mentors,
Erik Satie.Pentatonic Research reveals
some of Omar's daring harmonic sense, built on
a dialogue of Eastern-tinged, space-age motifs. This
is followed by a version of Omar's signature ballad,
Iyawo, with its sweet, romantic melody, sliding, as
it often does, into a subtle montuno groove. With Sobre
Un Manto en E Minor and Siberian Horses, we continue
to find ourselves traversing an aural landscape of longing,
urgency and surrender.
Only toward the end of
the recording, with Intense Moon in F# Minor and the
rousing finale, Muevete en D, another of Omar's
signature compositions, does he take the energy to a
dramatic level. For those who have enjoyed Omar's
previous solo piano outings, Aleatoric EFX is sure to
be an enjoyable addition to the collection. For those
who are new to this dimension of Omar's musical
sensibilities, it is sure to be a good place to start.
© Otá Records 2018


text:
Playoff Drama! With only three weeks remaining the playoff picture seemingly isn't getting any clearer. Ten MLS sides are all within six points of each other within their respective conferences, battling out for the final ten spots. This week four of the six matches scheduled have opponents which are directly within four points of one another. At the end of the season when players see themselves facing either post season action or an earlier than hoped for vacation, they'll look back on this week as the deciding factor. Here's our picks for Round 34.
Hernan Bernardello ($7.2m) – He's appears to be back and healthy. Designated player Bernardello deemed himself fully fit Tuesday morning, and while Montreal have a crucial game this week, it's all about planning ahead for their double fixtures next round. The question is, will he start? With Patrice Bernier ($8.0m) appearing to have a hip issue, it looks likely he'll see the pitch. The recent struggles for Montreal have not seen them earn a clean sheet since Bernardello last featured for them, so he may prove a difference maker for their team.
Camilo Sanvezzo ($8.7m) Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Last Sunday 'Caps fans were treated to a double feature, two outragous goals from the Magician. One of which even a Cirque Du Soleil performer would love to call their own. With such an important match ahead of them this Wednesday in Seattle, expect Camilo to be leading the charge for the Blue & White. In addition to his hot streak of delivering four goals in three games, the last time Camilo played in Seattle he managed a brace. If anybody can get things done for the 'Caps, bank on the Camilo's Brazilliance to get the job done.
Speaking of Seattle, fantasy managers should take note that the Sounders are the only team in the league with a double header this week. The challenge for them is that in both those matches they'll be squaring off against their two Cascadian rivals, Portland Timbers and Whitecaps FC. While we think the 'Caps will rise to the occassion, as a fantasy manager you can't help but load up with three Seattle players this week purely because of the minutes their side will post. Here's who we have in our lineup.
Team of the Week - Seattle Sounders
Defense – Usally the easy and reliable play is picking a team's defense, but keep in mind the five goals Seattle gave up to Colorado last week. Michael Gspurning ($5.9m) should be a safe bet as keeper, while Jhon Hurtado ($4.5m) only lasted 45 minutes last match. With Zach Scott ($4.4m) suspended however, Hurtado may be forced back to 90 minute form. If you have the budget, direct your attention and transfers to DeAndre Yedlin ($5.3m) slightly more pricey but he's their go to man and can help when moving forward to gain you some attacking points.
Attack – Obafemi Martins ($8.7m) seems to be finally fit and ready to play a role in Seattle's doubleheader. With Eddie Johnson ($9.7m) away Seattle will be looking for somebody to take the bull by the horns and Martin could end up showing Portland why he's their designated player.


text:
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text:
Oven-Grilled Grapefruit Halves:
3 grapefruit
3 teaspoons butter
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 maraschino cherries
Have grapefruit at room temperature. Cut each in half, then cut a thin slice from the bottom of each half to balance grapefruit. Cut around each section to loosen fruit from the shell. Remove core from each half, dot each half with 1/2 teaspoon butter. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over grapefruit. Place on oven-griller rack or in a shallow baking pan. Grill 4 inches from heat about 8 minutes or until heated through and topping is bubbly. Garnish with maraschino cherries.


text: The Pang Brothers film The Childs's Eye 3D released a trailer peep it below. Stranded in Thailand by the political uprising and airport closure, Rainie and her friends were unable to return home. Reluctantly, they decide to stay in an aged and shabby hotel. Among them is Rainie's boyfriend, Lok, Ling and her brother Rex and Ciwi with her beloved boyfriend, Hei. The moment they check into the hotel they come across three weird children and a puppy that seems slightly odd. As strange and sinister things start to happen, they begin disappearing one after another.[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xecnxg_childseye3d-trailer_shortfilms[/dailymotion]


text:
LAUREL SPRINGS, N.J., Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Police in Gloucester Township, N.J., said a man who wounded three officers at the town's police station Friday was killed when officers returned fire.
Police Chief Harry Earle said the shooter has been identified as Eddie Jones III, a communications officer for the New Jersey Department of Corrections.
Jones, 39, of Willingboro, N.J., had been arrested at about 5:30 a.m. Friday after police received a complaint of a suspicious person outside a home. Earle said Jones had been stalking a former girlfriend and was arrested on "numerous offenses."
As Officer Ruth Burns was processing him at the police station, he attacked her and grabbed her gun. As Sgt. James Garber and Sgt. Kevin Thyne responded to the altercation, Jones "unleashed a barrage of gunfire" toward them, and was killed by return fire, Earle said.
Garber, a 13-year veteran of the force, was shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen and sustained a "grazing wound to the head," Earle said. Garber -- who was wearing a protective vest -- was listed in stable condition after surgery for two bullet wounds, WTXF-TV, Philadelphia, reported.
Thyne, an 8-year veteran, and Burns, in her first year on the force, sustained wounds described as non-life threatening.


text:
(CNN Student News) -- Students will examine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Also, they will compose written responses to Dr. King in which they compare his historic vision of racial equality in the United States to the reality of present-day life.
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his vision of racial equality in America in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Now, efforts are under way to build on that dream by constructing a monument to Dr. King on the banks of the National Mall's Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.
In class discussion, have students define the following terms: racism, prejudice and discrimination. Have them give examples of each. Then, point out that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of being judged not by the color of one's skin, but by the content of his or her character. Direct your students to read Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss its content in class. Then, challenge each student to compare Dr. King's dream to the reality of life in the U.S. in the year 2008. Direct each student to compose a written response to Dr. King, explaining what life is like in the U.S. today and to what extent his dream has been realized. (Encourage students to be creative in their responses. For example, students could write a letter, a speech, a song or a poem.) After students share their responses to Dr. King, pose the following questions for class discussion:
Do you think that in today's society individuals are judged by the content of their character and not by their race? Give examples to support your opinion.
Correlated Standards
United States History
Standard 29. Understands the struggle for racial and gender equality and for the extension of civil liberties
Level II [Grade: 5-6]
Benchmark 1. Understands the development of the civil rights movement (e.g., the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education and its significance in advancing civil rights; the resistance to civil rights in the South between 1954 and 1965; how the "freedom ride," "civil disobedience," and "non-violent resistance" were important to the civil rights movement; Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in the context of major events)
Level III [Grade: 7-8]
Benchmark 1. Understands individual and institutional influences on the civil rights movement (e.g., the origins of the postwar civil rights movement; the role of the NAACP in the legal assault on the leadership and ideologies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X; the effects of the constitutional steps taken in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government; the shift from de jure to de facto segregation; important milestones in the civil rights movement between 1954 and 1965; Eisenhower's reasons for dispatching federal troops to Little Rock in 1957)
McREL: Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream" speech, racial equality, discrimination, prejudice, racism


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Watch Men in Black: International (2019) : Full Movie Online Free The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest, most global threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.
|Men in Black: International
|Release Date
|Jun 12, 2019
|Comedy, Science Fiction,
|Production Company
|Amblin Entertainment, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation, Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures, Tencent Pictures
|Production Countries
|United States of America
|Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Kumail Nanjiani, Rebecca Ferguson, Rafe Spall, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Laurent Bourgeois, Larry Bourgeois, Kayvan Novak, Spencer Wilding
|Plot Keywords
|paris, france, london, england, secret organization, sahara, sequel, co-worker relationship, alien invasion, brooklyn, new york city, eiffel tower paris, alien friendship, men in black, weapons trafficking, marrakesh, morocco,
Agent HChris Hemsworth
Agent MTessa Thompson
Pawny (voice)Kumail Nanjiani
RizaRebecca Ferguson
Agent CRafe Spall
Agent OEmma Thompson
Agent High TLiam Neeson
Alien Twin #1Laurent Bourgeois
Alien Twin #2Larry Bourgeois
Vungus / Nasr / BassamKayvan Novak
Luca BrasiSpencer Wilding
Molly's MomMarcy Harriell
Molly's DadInny Clemons
Man in Black #1Aaron Serotsky
Young MollyMandeiya Flory
FBI HR GuyMatthew Bates
CIA RecruiterSartaj Garewal
GuyStephen Wight
CabbieBrian Silliman
Jimmy the AlienJohn Sousa
Lead MIB AgentJeff Kim
MIB Lead InterrogatorMichael Adams
Veteran MIB AgentMike Capozzola
NerleneAnnie Burkin
Freddie the AlienAndrew Greenough
Nightclub WaitressNatasha Culzac
MIB Forensics AgentDavid Hartley
Alien BossPaul Brennen
Alien Woman / Boss' WifeAnia Sowinski
Antique ShopkeeperStefan Kalipha
Nightclub BartenderDaniel Scott-Smith
MIB Security GuardVincent Pirillo
NIghtclub Patron #1Kaya Brown-Hallam
Nightclub Patron #2Beau Fowler
Nightclub Patron #3Lukas DiSparrow
Viper Room PlayerAndy Beckwith
Man at Eiffel TowerRomanos Blanco
Woman at Eiffel TowerAistė Diržiūtė
French SalesmanAnatole Taubman
Nervous Forensic TechSorel Johnson
Proprietor (Charlie)Paul Smith
Voice of Frank the Pug (voice)Tim Blaney
Worm Guy #1 (voice)Thom Fountain
Worm Guy #2 (voice)Drew Massey
Immigration Alien (uncredited)Wong Charlie
Alien on TV Monitor (uncredited)Elon Musk
MIB ScientistBern Collaço
Alien Dancer (uncredited)Elle Black


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No. 14 Purdue women defeat Indiana 59-42
Sam Ostarello had 14 points and 10 rebounds Thursday night to lead No. 14 Purdue to a 59-42 win over Indiana.
KK Houser and April Wilson scored 12 points apiece for the Boilermakers (18-3, 7-1 Big Ten). Taylor Manuel added 11 points for Purdue, which held a 45-30 rebounding edge.
Linda Rubene scored 13 points and Aulani Sinclair scored 11 for Indiana (10-11, 1-7). Rubene and Sinclair each had a team-high six rebounds. The Hoosiers have dropped six straight.
The Boilermakers never trailed and opened up a quick 12-2 lead, but Indiana tied the game three times late in the first half, the last at 26 before Purdue scored the last six points of the half.
Purdue holds a 50-25 edge in the all-time series.


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Tristan da Cunha
Tristan da Cunhatrĭs´tăn də ko͞o´nə [key], group of volcanic islands in the S Atlantic, about midway between S Africa and S America, part of the British Saint Helena overseas territory. The only habitable island of the group is Tristan da Cunha (1999 pop. 286), formed by a volcano rising to c.6,760 ft (2,060 m). The other islands are Gough, Nightingale, and Inaccessible, the last being the home of the flightless rail, an almost extinct bird. The first inhabitants came from St. Helena in the 19th cent. Fishing is the chief industry.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- History
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: British and Irish Political Geography


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Some time ago I was asked to contribute to a discussion about improving the Humanitarian sector. If there were any three things I could magically change about our industry, what would it be?
Well, better late than never I guess.
I had intended to have this post written up for World Humanitarian Day on August 19th, but unfortunately in the days leading up, I found myself flat on my back with a neck injury and found it hard enough to get to the toilet, never mind write for the interwebs. So, sorry about that. And also my total lack of engagement around the whole WHD online campaign. Now I feel like the guy who didn't wish anybody a Merry Christmas.
[Full disclosure: this year, I hardly wished anybody a Merry Christmas]
If I could snap my fingers and change three things about the Humanitarian Industry, these are they:
1. The Right People in the Field (and lose the dross)
Humanitarian work (whether emergency or long-term development focused) happens at the field level. It is, above all else, a service industry that revolves around support provided to community members by staff mobilized through our programs. The guys who operate at that level are essentially the fingertips of our agency. They are the face that communities see and they are the ones who ultimately make the decisions on a day-to-day basis that affect whether or not programs see success.
They are also the bottom rung on the organizational ladder.
We have this crazy idea that there's a hierarchy of importance in the aid industry. The field pleb who carries out community mobilzation meetings to talk about how to go to the toilet without getting cholera is at the bottom. Then there's the program manager who reports on the daily activities to their boss, an area manager of some kind. Most likely, these guys are locally hired, maybe even national staff from somewhere else in the country if they're in management roles. Some of them are totally awesome. Some of them haven't finished high school, or are useless. Some of them haven't finished high school and are still totally awesome.
At the other end of the spectrum, we've got headquarters office in some European nation where white guys (and increasingly, I'm happy to say, non-white guys and non-guys) with thirty years' experience in the industry have desk-jobs where they make decisions on how best to do our work. Some of these guys even started working as field plebs in some country office and 'worked their way up' to become senior managers, or technical experts, or sectoral advisors, or whatever it is they've become. Some of them are totally awesome. Some of them are a complete waste of space.
The thing is, we've got it topsy-turvy. We've assumed that our field works like a corporate model, and the further you get from the field, the more of an expert you are, and the better contribution you can make to the organization. When the fact is, when you're stuck at some lofty level in a dysfunctional bureaucracy, your contribution gets watered down until, at the field level, it mixes with the hundreds of contributions from hundreds of other technical experts, and comes to pretty much zilch. Meanwhile, some local kid hired last year is running field activities and has never even heard of your innovative collaborative cross-cutting approach, and is just getting on with business.
I know some awesome field guys stranded in head offices, men and women who really know how to interact with and inspire a community. In fact, I know people like that at pretty much every level in the industry. I can list off passionate local field coordinators who really know how to communicate with their own people. Dynamic expat area managers who have an amazing and inspirational connection to their staff and the programs they're responsible for. Maybe the best community engagement field worker I've ever met was a Latina expat who ran a multi-country disaster preparedness program in Central America. Man, she had communities eating out of her hand- they loved her.
I've also known a lot of space-wasters. People who've been promoted simply because they've put in the time, or because their brother works in the right ministry. Expat experts who've been around too long and are keeping a desk warm until their long-service-leave matures. Field workers who are ignorant, don't care, or are abusive to the communities they're supposed to be serving, and local area managers who've set up their own kingdom and are skimming off the top. Internationals who once upon a time made good field staff, but have had to return to home-base offices to raise a family, and are drying up inside and getting too cynical to be of much use.
This is due partly to an inherent trend to favour a corporate model, and partly due to perceptions of financial restrictions. Why would we pay an expat ten times what we can pay a local to mobilize at the community level, especially when the expat wants a place for their kids and the local has a better connection with the community.
Well, there is some truth to these constraints, but it's not complete. You see, we need the right people in the right places. Sometimes, that's gonna mean we need somebody from that community to be the face of our organization. Other times, it might be a national from somewhere else. In some circumstances, there might be an expatriate who is just the right person for that particular job- they have a way of interacting that inspires and provides leadership, and they have the right technical skill-set to really make a difference.
Basically, we stick some of our best field staff behind desks where they can't be effective, and pay our lowest salaries to the men and women who represent the organization and are ultimately going to operationalize our plans.
Think about this. Our reputation, our impact, our very humanitarian imperative rests on the people we invest least in. Is this good business? No.
The industry needs to put its best people in positions where they can have direct operational control over field activities and staff, where they can represent the organization to our most important stakeholders- the community themselves. People who have the capacity to simultaneously implement best practice in gender, accountability, disaster risk reduction and complexity management.
We wouldn't expect a high-school graduate in some western nation to be able to get up and run at this level. Why would we expect it of our field-staff? And yet this is the level we should be operating at.
So you need to pay an expatriate wage for a 'low-level' program manager sometimes? Okay, so what? I realise it will raise a few awkward issues around pay equity between national and expat staff members, but are you really going to let that stand in the way of maximising impact? Besides, it won't always be the case- sometimes you'll find the right staff member locally, too- but make sure they're fairly paid for what they're offering (not to get all communist on you here). But let's have a career progression that sees our best staff encouraged and supported to operate at the field level, not some lofty height where they're effectively useless, while staff who are not-yet-competent (or in some cases, simply lack the will or capacity to do any better) do our most important work and aren't paid, recognized or supported accordingly.
Oh, and all those middle layers of bureaucracy, expertise and hamster-wheel box-ticking management? Plebs like me? Send 'em back to the field or sack 'em.
[Full disclosure: Since writing this, I've been sent closer to the field- yay]
2. Downward Accountability & Complete Transparency
A reminder that seems to need to be pushed out time and again in this industry: We're here for the communities first, and everybody else second. None of this dual-citizenship where we have to treat our donors as equal stakeholders in the process. I'm sorry. You're a donor. You're not why we're here, so get over it, and if you don't like it, then don't give. We exist to serve our communities. Period.
As such we have to not just talk accountability- we have to be accountable. Get our communities running their own assessments. None of this seeds-in-a-pile stuff, either. I mean, sure, if it's the most appropriate way to get information and connect with the communities, by all means run with it. But please, half these guys have smart-phones now. You're telling me you can't involve them in your assessment process in a more sophisticated way? And if they're not there yet? Invest in them so they can be.
How about getting them to help write your project designs? Contribute to discussions on how the project will be managed, and what indicators and outputs they want to see in their communities. Not just , "I want a well". How about things like flow-rate, water quality, how to set up the distribution network, and safety issues? How about bringing them to meet the donor when you negotiate the project terms? Let them see your budget- including management costs. Do they see your reports? How about letting them write the reports? Do your communities lack the capacity to do that? Really? Do they? If so, you'd better put education at the top of your to-do list, cos take it from somebody who views reports for a living: It ain't rocket science.
HAP International has a fantastic tool that prescribes the appropriate levels of accountability for a program to be truly answerable to the community it purports to serve, but like most systems it can become a tick-the-box exercise and be paid nothing more than lip-service. "Yes, we're HAP compliant. There's a little wooden box they can put complaints into if they want to."
Let's make it actually happen so that communities get to call the shots. I bet our programs would look pretty different.
On the same topic (and not wanting to be cheating too much here by adding extra things to my list), let's be totally transparent and accountable to all our stakeholders, not just communities. Let's let our budgets and reports be uploaded onto central publically-accessible databases. We bear in mind the need to protect certain information for the safety of staff, beneficiaries, or the organization- but we don't hide behind this. Let our donor public see what we're up to. Let communities and host governments see what we're up to. Partner agencies. The UN. Donor governments.
It makes you squirm. And it would hurt at first. There'd be a lot of re-aligning of expectations on behalf of donors. A lot of re-aligning of employment on behalf of NGOs, for sure. But it'd settle. And we'd all be better off for it. And a lot more honest.
Of course, implicit in this assumption is intelligent donorship. Donors need to be able to look at what NGOs do, and what they are, and how they work, and within the context of this transparency, make appropriate decisions about how to invest in supporting communities in need- for goodness sake stop talking about 'overheads'. We don't have that yet. A part of that is due to the lack of transparency and the partial-honesty with which we treat our constituents. There are other factors in there too- particularly politics- which are harder to overcome.
3. Action Fitted to Context
Wow. We're here again. Needs oriented! Make your programs appropriate to the context you're operating in! Humanitarian imperative first! How many times do we have to have the same conversation? I guess as many times as we keep making decisions to prioritize things other than the needs context of the people we're supposed to be serving. Do I really need to say very much more about this one? I sincerely hope not. Suffice to say, this isn't happening. Not yet. If there was one thing I could change with a snap of my fingers, it would be this one. Easy. Done.


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The ASEAN Barred Ground Dove festival takes place to attract and make relationship among the dove-lovers from the southern part of Thailand as well as from neighboring countries such as, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei. Thai people have believed that doves are creatures, which bring good luck to people who rare them and are also the symbols of purity and peach. The major highlights during the event are the doves with the most melodious and sweetest cooing sound and the red-whiskered bulbul singing competition. Also, there are the contests to find the most beautiful cage and demonstrations of cage-making, displaying the local wisdom and selling of the local products.
For more information: +66 7352 2411


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Conditions: Steady 7-10kts gusts to 12, lulls to 5 (estimations, not intentionally into BS but you know how hard these estimations are). Wind meter at the local wind surf club said 10kts average, 5m above sea level, at session start which means 1-2kts more at kite height!?
Rider experience: 5years (Started off with cab contra III 14 and 17m, had the Zephyr2010 and Turbine2011, currently on core xr2 19m, current quiver xr2 19 and xr2 10)
Rider weight: 87kg
Expectations: No Miracles
Board: Surfboard(modified SS Arcane with 4x16cm fins) and Skimboard(strapped Shinn Waterbird)
Performance: 9/10
Quality: 10/10
Satisfaction: 9/10
Disclaimer: No affiliation whatsoever, i pay for my gear. I will refer to the core xr2 19m as 'the core'
I stumbled on a post here some 4 months ago or so about 'the biggest tube kite on the market' and being keen on getting out on the water whenever possible i decided to go for this big bad boy.
The first thing you notice when unfolding the kite is the lack of dacron reinforcements on the wingtip canopy which the core(as every other kite i've had) has. Second is the absence of one-pump, which adds a few minutes of inflation time. There are small velcro pockets at the wingtips where you can put the bridle lines, or part of them, which facilitates rigging. The 10/10 for quality is because i feel the quality is Right for this kind of kite, it is about 1kg lighter than the core(did not weigh them myself, feels like it's right) and still feels solid.
The Ultimate Bar has a nice grip and is simple and uncluttered, the only thing to have in mind is that if your arms are of average or short length, place the depower/stopper about 1/3 towards the bar at rigging. I immediately set the lines up to 32m with the 'Rallonges' provided. The ERA line came with extension lines as well but it was as long as the other lines so i was not able to fit that. I am thinking of a solution with two lines, one on each side so I can choose which direction i want to launch in.
The kite launced beautifully. In the air the kite is VERY stable. In the same winds that made the core fall out of the sky eventually, i had no problems keeping this one in the air. The kite stalled a bit a few times, i just sheeted out and it came back nicely. The size suggests it is a slow turner and it is, it requires full input at its low end. I am convinced though, that with the shortest line length of 20m for higher winds(with gusts at 12kts I was fully sheeted out, no depower) this becomes a different story. It reacts a bit differently to input: it moves when input is applied and immediately stops when you hold the bar straight so it's like you can alter the kite's position in 'precision steps'. Very stable indeed
I started off on a surfboard with some 10kts wind with gusts to 12kts. Totally effortless, no sining needed, sheet and go, immediate upwind. The kite responds fine to input even if a bit slow, like the cab contra III 17m. Upwind ability felt about the same as for the core, not much worse nor better. Bar preassure was just fine, firm without being tiring. Oh, almost forgot: once i fell from the board in a gybe and to avoid a crash i had to downloop it. So Yes, it loops with enoug input provided, not bad for a 21m
I didn't think of trying a water relaunch so maybe i'll get back on that also i did not test jumping.
Kite and Boards
The SS Arcane is not the ultimate LW machine but i don't have depht for race fins or hydrofoils where i ride most of the time.
The wind dropped to 6-8kts and i could just hold the line with the surfboard. I decided to try the skimboard. In the 8kts 'gusts' i was able to hold the line, planing, but in the lulls i sank through.
[ UPDATE: After three days with 0-5kts wind the wind finally returned today to a steady 12kts with gusts to 18kts according to meter at the local surf club. So i took my regular twin tip for a spin, a Spleene RIP HT 37(137x44) -09. I started off on 2/3 depower and standard line length(made the kite more responsive!) which i kept the whole session. I did short runs, like 200-300m, to test the jumping ability.
The key to jumping is timing and this is a very forgiving kite! the few times at the start when i completely mistimed and ended up with the kite far behind me, lines totally slack, it just drifted to stretch, i could give input and was going again. The core would at some of these occations have punished me with some hindenburging, rolling over and end of session.
So big for jumping! Probably did my highest jump ever today, but that was more luck, it will take some time getting the timing right. Upwind is easy though it requires heavy edging. ]
Summary: Don't be put off by the number on the kite, it is a nice kite! It gets me going 1+ knot earlier than the core with the surf board, it stays in the air like the Turbine and with better bottom end. For winds between 7 and 12kts this is a session saver for me. For winds between 11 and 16kts the core will still be my goto kite.
After the second session i realized that the standard line length improves the top end and responsiveness. Gusts at 18kts were manageable, i would say my limit is 20kts(survival).


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Editor's note: Frida Ghitis is a world affairs columnist for the Miami Herald and World Politics Review. A former CNN producer and correspondent, she is the author of "The End of Revolution: A Changing World in the Age of Live Television." Follow her on Twitter @FridaGhitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- The last bit of news I heard before boarding a plane to Seoul a few days ago was that North Korea had just fired 100 artillery shells into the sea near the border with South Korea.
Disturbing news from North Korea comes just as often as stories that make us laugh in disbelief. The many quirky, mystifying, baffling developments in Pyongyang make its young ruler, Kim Jung Un, an irresistible target for comedians.
It was hard to suppress a laugh, for example, when North Korea severely declared that an upcoming satirical Hollywood movie constituted "an act of war" and filed an official complaint with the United Nations.
Those are two sides of North Korea -- deliberately frightening and inadvertently comical. Then there's a third side -- the part that makes us gasp in horror.
A yearlong investigation conducted by the United Nations found that North Korea is a country whose depth of brutality "does not have any parallel in the contemporary world."
According to the report, North Korea engages in murder, torture, slavery and mass starvation to terrorize the population into submission. Stories from refugees who have escaped from North Korea are a chilling reminder that the regime is not just a military threat, it is causing a terrible humanitarian crisis.
North Korea is a Riddle Kingdom that is simultaneously threatening, bizarre and brutal. The regime's unpredictability is one of the factors that allow a small, impoverished state, unable to feed its own people, to stand toe to toe with much more powerful rivals.
It is those random, capricious, frequently dangerous behaviors that allow fragile, brittle, bankrupt North Korea to force its dazzlingly successful neighbor, South Korea, to maintain a constant state of alert, to wonder if its capital city can survive an attack across a border that lies just 35 miles away.
With its conventional and nuclear arsenals, North Korea manages to keep the international community, including the United States, scrambling for an approach that might neutralize the danger and send a lifeline to the victims of the cruel regime.
It's tempting to ignore North Korea's antics as bluster, as empty threats. But Pyongyang has launched deadly attacks. For example, in 2010, it bombed a South Korean island about 70 miles from Seoul, killing four people. It may also have launched a torpedo that same year which sank a South Korean navy ship, killing 46. In 2013, the North detonated a nuclear device and brazenly threatened to launch a "pre-emptive nuclear attack" against the U.S. A fourth nuclear test could be imminent.
After the most recent escalation, South Korean President Park Geun-hye spoke to military leaders and told them to prepare to retaliate. She described Pyongyang as so erratic that you cannot see "even an inch ahead."
The news from North Korea can be so disconcerting that spoofs and rumors regularly make it into the news and social media as if they were fact. Ahead of the World Cup finals a satirical video purportedly showing a North Korean newscast declaring the North's team a finalist for the World Cup went viral, repeated as if it were true, as just another amusing moment from Pyongyang.
And, why not? Truth and fiction are hard to tell apart.
Pyongyang has created its own version of the world for domestic consumption. North Korean government researchers announced their country is the second happiest in the world -- second only to China. The late ruler, Kim Jung Il, was reported to have bowled a perfect game the first time he set foot on a bowling alley. He was also supposedly the world's best golfer.
The official biography of the country's rulers has looked like something out of a Marvel Comics book story. No official biography of the current Kim has been released, other than an account that says he was "born in heaven." That would fit with his father, Kim Jong Il's official story, which claims he was born under a double rainbow with the seasons spontaneously changing and a new star appearing in the sky for the occasion.
The three generations of Kim men who have ruled the North are painted as supernatural to the local population. Abroad, they are cartoonish figures, whose behavior can leave diplomats and strategists scratching their heads.
Just a few months ago, the government published a gasp-inducing racist tirade against President Barack Obama, calling him a "clown" who "does not even have the basic appearance of a human being." It suggested he live with monkeys in a zoo. Racism, a myth of racial superiority, is a striking feature of the culture promoted by the regime.
The authorities have created their own reality, brainwashed the population to keep the state functioning and the regime secure. To anyone who commits what the government deems an infraction, the punishment is inconceivably harsh.
It's all part of the riddle that keeps the world guessing, off-balance and nervous. By firing missiles, threatening neighbors and acting erratically, North Korea portrays itself as mysterious and volatile, and even that perception magnifies its ability to create fear, adding to its power and helping keep the despotic regime in control.
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The answer is very simple: to be happy.
Which is the only reason you're here.
That might sound like a very simple take on the meaning of life, but I believe it with every fiber in my body.
Yes, I'm certain that if we were to strip away our egos, desires, fears, and insecurities, all that would be left is happiness.
There are days where it feels like we can almost touch this truth. Days where when we wake up, the sun seems to be shining a little brighter, the birds are singing a little bit louder, and we walk out into the world with a bounce in our step and a song in our heart.
Yet there are also days when we start out feeling nervous about what lies ahead of us, unsure about the situations we're about to encounter. Where it could be eighty degrees and sunny out, but we feel like we're walking through a cold, dark world.
The purpose of this book is to show you that you can control which of those worlds you live in. You can decide that no matter what is happening around you, the sun will always be shining in your world.
Or you can decide that your world is always going to be a cold, dark place.
The point is, the external world doesn't make that choice.
You do.
Obviously most people would prefer to live in the sunshine. The problem is that they just don't know how to step into it.
I'm here to tell you that meditation can take you there. That sitting in silence for twenty minutes can be a tool to wash away the pain, frustration, and insecurities that have been coloring your existence and allow you to get back to the state of happiness that is your birthright.
The path that I will lay out in this book represents the simplest route between your current state and that happiness. As your guide, I will not lead you on any detours or suggest that we take the more scenic route. No, this is a simple and straightforward guide on how to use the tool of meditation to get the most out of your life—written with the authority of someone who has used that very tool every day for the past fifteen years himself.
I want to keep this book very simple and direct in order to help demystify meditation. To clear up any misconceptions or uneasiness that you might have about this ancient practice and help you see that it's a valuable and relevant tool in the modern world. Just the fact that you're reading these words means that at the very least you're curious about the practice, but maybe there's still something that's holding you back from committing fully. Maybe you still have a vague sense that there's something "foreign" or "mystical" about meditation. Even worse, something "ungodly." Or maybe you're still skeptical that it "really" works. Or maybe—and this one always makes me laugh—you believe that it could help you, but you're just too "busy" to meditate.
I'll dive into these misconceptions, and several other ones, over the course of the book, but let me say right here that there is nothing "foreign" about meditation. In fact, it's way more mainstream than you probably realize. Oprah. Jerry Seinfeld. Paul McCartney. Phil Jackson. Ellen DeGeneres. Forest Whitaker. These are all people that you know of and whose success has inspired millions of people. And they all meditate and credit the practice as one of the foundations of their success. I'll be sharing their thoughts on meditation, and the thoughts of many leaders from the arts, business, education, science, and the spiritual communities, throughout the book, because I want you to realize that when you become a meditator, you are joining a community of successful people. A community of people who move through life on their own terms and maximize their potential.
From Success Through Stillness by Russell Simmons with Chris Morrow. Reprinted by arrangement with GOTHAM BOOKS, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © RUSSELL SIMMONS, 2014.


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President Barack Obama will be visiting Stanford Friday, February 13 for the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection. As a result of the expected street closures on Friday, Stanford Auxiliary Libraries (SAL) 1 & 2 will be inaccessible and will be closed. The limited routes available on campus Friday will also result in delivery delays of requested items from the Libraries' off-campus storage or other locations. Parking and Transportation has posted a detailed summary of parking and traffic delays expected Feb. 13.
Monday, February 16 is also Presidents' Day holiday and library services will be limited. Cecil H. Green Library will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Library deliveries and services will resume on a normal schedule Tuesday, February 17. If you have questions about any of the disruptions, please contact Green Circulation staff at firstname.lastname@example.com or 650-723-1492.
We apologize for any disruption this may cause and thank you for your understanding.
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